Keventer Agro Limited, engaged in the processing of leading beverages brands like Frooti and Appy Fizz on behalf of Parle, has forayed in banana cultivation to bolster its agri business.
"We have tied up with several companies like Jain Irrigation, Bayer, Syngenta and Agrions, for entering into this new venture", Sunil Kajaria, CEO (fruits and vegetables) of Keventer Agro told reporters here.
Keventer has tied up with the farmers in the districts banana growing districts of Nadia and Murshidabad where the company supplies small plants to them.
The plantlets were of the G-9 variety (Singapuri) and supplied by Jain Irrigation, he said.
Keventer had also set up a demonstration farm inside the factory premises here.
"We are supplying around 50 metric tonnes of ripened banana each day to the various markets of the city and the state, adding that some quantity were also being sent to neighbouring states like Jharkhand.
"The banana business was expected to fetch an annual revenue of Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore" and investment gone into this was Rs 60 crore, he said.
Unlike using carbide for ripening the fruit, Keventer uses WHO-established guidelines of chilling the produce under cold conditions, he said.
Keventer had also deployed agricultural scientists in the fields to check the quality norms being followed by the farmers, he said.
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